An Arranged Marriage
by Avatard2720
Summary: Corona experiences a decline in military, and the neighboring kingdom Windelheim decides to strike, unless Rapunzel will marry the prince, Jack Frost. AU where Jack does not have winter powers. Jackunzel/Japunzel, of course! T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

King Asyrion of Corona was in his court, speaking to his advisors about the recent border problems they were having with the Windelheim borders, when a wheezing messenger on a lathered horse burst through the throne room doors. "Your Majesty!" he panted, "Dire news!"

"Tell us, don't worry about formalities," the king nodded at the messenger, granting him permission to speak out of habit.

"The Windelheimers, Your Majesty. Their battleships are at our ports, and they'll hurt innocent citizens if they aren't let in." The messenger's eyes flicked up to the king's and then back to the ground. "They insisted you read this. It's confidential." No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, he was overtaken by a series of asthmatic coughs.

Asyrion took the message, eyes darting back and forth across the page quickly. His eyes widened. "Rapunzel."

The princess in question was in her royal bedchamber, humming while she carefully sewed the pieces of what would soon be Pascal's new coat. She'd tried sewing him a dress, but he wasn't so enthusiastic about wearing it, so they'd compromised on a coat.

She had just finished the left sleeve and was about to size it to her unwilling model when she heard a polite knock at the door.

_Tap-tap._

Her father's knock was loud and hearty, three or four strong thuds on her oaken door accompanied by a cheerful greeting. Her mother usually came right in. She opened the door abruptly, shoving wind in the palace guard's face, although his practiced mask of indifference didn't waver.

"The king requests your presence," said the guard, clipped and brusque, and then spun on his heel and marched somewhat snootily away, his boots making an annoying clicking sound on the polished floors.

She changed into a more formal dress than her usual comfy pink-and-purple garb, and held her head high as she trudged down the corridor, hoping that the sinking feeling in her gut was wrong.

Charmagne Frost was on top of the world. Well, on top of Corona, anyway. Ever since his father had taken him to Corona, he'd known he wanted it for himself. As he grew older, he eventually realized that Corona's defenses would be too strong to take them down while he was in his prime. He'd have to wait for a son if he ever hoped to live there even in his elder years.

So he'd waited.

A few years later, his wife had has a son. A small, premature baby boy they named Jack. All the chambermaids and ladies fussed over the little prince, and although Charmagne didn't like it, he let them. Until the boy was ten, that was.

Then, Charmagne began by having Jack tutored in all forms of manly sports. Simply put, the boy was a failure. Always messing around, cracking jokes. Charmagne had been a very serious, introverted knight, always following the rules, doing the right thing, his life completely bound to his knighthood. Jack was the opposite; always lollygagging, never sincere or committed, and quite belligerent at times. Charmagne tried, but he knew Jack had his mother's spirit; he always had. She'd always had a free will, traveling the world off her father's money, never settling down, a family far from her mind. He'd gotten her in the end, but only because she would lose the throne if she didn't marry. She loved him; just she'd rather be single.

Charmagne could faintly hear the King's diplomats explain the situation to him. Without all the fancy wording it was simple: Rapuzel would marry Jack, or Windelheim would attack the vulnerable Corona. Charmagne knew he had chosen an ideal moment to strike.

He tuned back into the conversation. "And if we refuse?" he heard Asyrion say, eyebrow raised.

"Then Corona will be destroyed," Charmagne's diplomat said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The king kept his composure, but Charmagne could tell he was uneasy under his calm mask. A captured squirrel desperately trying to escape from the coils of a smake.

Rapunzel politely waited outside the doors, waiting for her father to call her in. The sends ticked by slowly.

_Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock._

Like a heartbeat.

Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum.

A dying heartbeat.

No, don't think that way, Rapunzel, she told herself.

She shook her head to clear it.

Shortly, the doors opened and four men emerged. One she recognized as the ruler of Windelheim, and his son, it seemed. The other two were palace guards. The prince looked her up and down, with a slight smirk on his face. She held his gaze, irked. He just widened his smirk.

What a pervert, she thought.

However, she focused her mind in whatever her father wanted her for, and decided to put the irritating Windelheim prince in the back of her head.

After a few minutes, a voice that sounded much too small and dismal for her normally lively father said, "Come in."

She went in the doors and immediately dropped her princess façade. The king's head was in his hands, tracing small circles in his temples. "Father!" she rushed over him.

"Rapunzel…" the king forced a small smile before explaining their current predicament.

"It'll be okay," she offered her own sad smile, hugging the king. "We'll work it out."

Asyrion returned the hug. "I hope so, Rapunzel. I hope so."


	2. Chapter 2

Rapunzel drifted, rather than walked, dismally toward her room, lost in thought. She felt the kind of unknowing numbness you feel after a loss, and then it hits you hard a few hours later. She reached her room, and didn't bother to close her door.

Pascal's half-done coat sat on the table where she'd left it. She didn't have anything else to do, so she picked up her needle and thread and began to work. The rhythm and steadiness of the needle soothed her anguish, if only partially, and her thoughts wandered.

She was actually marrying that guy. He was definitely handsome, that wasn't her problem with him. That would be the fact that she believed in marriage for love, not politics, but then again, here she was being forced into an arranged marriage. She didn't blame her father, she blamed Windelheim, but that didn't make it easier to accept her fate.

She tried to think about other, cheerier things, but what would happen barely a week from now loomed over her like an inclement cloud.

She glanced up at the clock. An hour had passed. The coat was almost finished.

Rapunzel sighed.

"I need to get out of here," she muttered to herself. Pascal jumped on her shoulder.

"I'll go talk to Mom about this. She'll know what to do."

Having Pascal in his familiar place was comforting, but she still didn't go much faster than a shuffle, taking her time to look at tapestries that she'd seen a million times before, hoping that if she didn't have to talk about _it_ with her mother, she might wake up from a bad dream. She almost pinched herself, but decided ignorance is bliss.

She was so lost in thought she actually ran into a wall; unfortunately, the very person she'd been looking to avoid happened to be next to that wall.

"Hey," said Jack.

Rapunzel wrinkled her nose at him and tried to brush past him.

"Hey," a little louder.

She kept walking.

"HEY, PRINCESS RAPUNZEL!" She turned around, not inclined to have a yelling prince follow her around the palace. "Yes?"

He smirked. "Nice butt."

Rapunzel didn't even glance back at him, a blush fighting for control of her face. She hardened her features.

She was walking so fast, she didn't notice she was going the wrong direction.


	3. Chapter 3

She arrived in her room, but that was just fine with her.

"I can't believe I have to marry that….that….butthole!" Rapunzel yelled at the walls"He has the nerve to freaking check me out! Who does he think he is, hitting on a princess?! He's so arrogant and perverted and….and…"

"Handsome?" a suave male voice suggested.

Rapunzel whipped around to find to ice-blue eyes a few inches from her own.

"Sexy?" Jack said, wearing his trademark cocky smirk.

"Why the _hell_ are you in my room?" she demanded.

"Well, we're getting married, right? Might as well get to know each other." Jack said nonchalantly.

"Get out." Rapunzel pointed toward the still-open door.

"Who's going to make me?" he taunted.

She didn't give him an answer, instead storming off to the kitchen.

"Whatcha gonna do Blondie? Hit me with a hairbrush?" Jack teased.

She came back into the room with one hand behind her back, scowling. She seemed less angry than before, though.

Jack decided to placate her a little with a slight compliment. "You're cute when you're mad," giving her a real 100-watt smile.

She raised an eyebrow. "This princess," she said, "doesn't need a knight in shining armor." She raised….was that a frying pan?

His last thought before he went out cold was that he was probably the first person in Corona to be knocked out by a princess wielding a frying pan. He would probably be surprised to learn that he was wrong.

**(a few hours later)**

He woke up tied to a chair with long golden hair. He knew Rapunzel had long hair, it just didn't seem THIS long in its usual braid.

He followed the hair with his eyes, until it disappeared from his line of sight towards her bedroom.

His usual grin returned to his face. "Hey Blondie, need a little help in there?"

She didn't respond.

"Because I could help you, _you know,"_ he added a

He heard the door open, followed by Rapunzel coolly walking toward him with the frying pan held loosely in her left hand. "Woah, careful with that thing." He didn't mind getting slapped by girls every once in a while, but this girl had a frying pan on her side.

"Let's get one thing straight, (nickname). I'm not stupid or easy like your previous….I'll say…._lady friends_. I will not be treated as anything less than your equal. Are we clear?"

Her eyes said she meant it. Jack would never admit it, but she actually scared him a little bit, although he made sure to keep his expression carefree.

"Loosen up, Punz. You'll warm up to me in time."

Rapunzel sighed. "Just know that I would never intentionally marry a guy like you. This is purely political." She leaned forward and looked him straight in the eyes. "Know that."

He had to say, her toothpaste smelled pretty good. His gaze dropped to her neckline. Whoops. Now he better hope she doesn't look down at him.

_Crap! Do something, Frost! _

"Well, if we are tying the knot….." he trailed off, looking out of the window.

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, the other one this time.

Jack's smirk widened. "We might as well practice."

Rapunzel figured out what he was doing a split second before he did it.

He leaned as far forward as he could with her hair tied to him and gently touched his lips to hers. For a second, she actually kissed him back. He tried to lift his arm to pull her closer, but the hair simultaneously restrained him and pulled Rapunzel's head to the side, breaking the kiss.

An awkward silence ensued.

"You….you kissed me," she blushed, realizing the obviousness right after she said it.

The ever-present smirk reappeared. Rapunzel was starting to hate and like the smirk at the same time, like they were frenemies.

Frenemies with a smirk, Rapunzel, she told herself. Wow.

"Did you like it? Do you want to kiss again?" he tried to reach out to take her hand, but he just pulled her hair again.

She scowled at him, at least as much of a scowl as she could manage while still blushing, and disentangled him from her hair.

"No! Get out of my room! People will think things if you stay too long!"

"Yes, m'lady," he said with a knowing smile and a wiggle of the eyebrows.

She tried to keep scowling but had to turn away to hide her blush.

**Author's Note:**

**Hello wonderful peoples! I have been trying to post author notes for a while now, but is being weird. Oh well.**

**So… a week till the wedding…Punzie is nervous and sad, Jack….is annoying. :P**

**But Jack does actually care about things other than himself…you'll see.**

**Next chapter SHOULD be up Monday or Tuesday, maybe earlier.**


	4. Chapter 4

Rapunzel was changing into her purple pajamas, just about to put her shirt on, when her window opened and a cloaked person tumbled in.

Rapunzel squeaked and covered herself with her shirt. _Please don't let it be _him_ again!_

It wasn't. The figure pulled their hood back. It was….

"Auntie Gothel!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"Not too loud, dearie," said Gothel in a hushed voice, but she smiled at Rapunzel. "I missed you too."

Gothel was Rapunzel's aunt, the elder of the two daughters of the king before Asyrion. But according to Rapunzel's parents, Gothel had done something unspeakable and was banished from Corona. Whenever Rapunzel tried to dig deeper into what really happened, her mother would just shake her head darkly. "Just if she ever tries to visit you, call the guards on her."

Rapunzel had nodded dutifully when her mother had told her that. "I will," she'd said, as sincere as an 8-year-old can be.

But Rapunzel's curiosity had been piqued as to what her mother's sister had done, so when Gothel did come to visit, Rapunzel had demanded what had happened. "Oh, just a little prank taken too seriously," Gothel had replied vaguely.

Rapunzel had thought on this for a second. Her parents were very serious and strict, and they could easily have taken a joke too seriously. Besides, Gothel had cupcakes. And if you didn't know that Rapunzel liked cupcakes, then you've been living under a rock for the past 18 years.

"Now, dearie, can you sing for me?" Gothel's voice carried Rapunzel back to the present.

"Of course." Gothel had also showed Rapunzel how to use her hair to heal people, and reinforced her mother's orders never to cut it.

"_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Rapunzel watched Gothel's gray hairs disappear into her black curls.

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the Fates' design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine.."_

"You've always had such a beautiful voice, dearie." Rapunzel flushed at the praise.

Gothel sighed and put on a pitying expression. "But I've heard the news."

"What news?"

"Your marriage," Gothel said sadly. My poor baby, forced into marriage at only 18."

Rapunzel gently took Gothel's hands off her shoulders. "I don't want to get married, that's for sure. But I'm not your baby anymore."

"Of course, what was I thinking? You're my beautiful young woman, that's what you are."

Gothel calling her a beautiful young woman made her smile, but the "my" in front of it made Rapunzel bristle slightly.

"But you don't have to worry about that Jack boy, we can get you out of that marriage in no time."

"Really?" Rapunzel was eager to remain single, but a small part of her was almost a little sad to lose Jack. Almost.

"Of course, dearie. You will have to actually marry him, to dispel suspicion. But about two weeks after, when Charmagne starts to lose skepticism, we'll sneak you out in the middle of the night."

"Where will we go?"

"I have a safe place prepared, where no one will find you—er, us—ever again."

Rapunzel thought it over.

"Isn't it perfect. dearie?"

Her mind's instant reply was _no._ But this might be her only chance to escape.

Jack was definitely attractive, she couldn't deny that, and he was probably pretty charming when he wasn't being a pervert. But she'd just met the guy today, and she was marrying him in a week. Maybe—under different circumstances—she could've _possibly_ fallen for him of her own accord.

But she wasn't in a hurry to fall in love, et cetera. She wanted to enjoy her life first, before she shared it with someone else.

"The plan sounds good in theory, but what about Charmagne's threat to attack us if I leave Jack?"

"I promise you, no one will find is where we're going," Gothel told her. Rapunzel knew she wasn't lying. Gothel had been hiding somewhere all these years from the king and queen.

"But what about the kingdom?" Rapunzel inquired. "We don't know what Charmagne will do if I disappear."

"Don't worry about them. All that matters is we'll be safe and sound, and far away from that Windelheim scum."

"As much as I dislike Jack, I can't abandon my family and my kingdom," Rapunzel said levelly, looking Gothel in the eyes.

"But what do you know about marriage?" Githek said challengingly, daring Rapunzel to take the bait.

"Um, I know some stuff."

"You know he has the right to take you virginity after you're married," Gothel fed on Rapunzel's doubts. "You know how perverted he can be," she said softly. Setting the hook. She had Rapunzel now.

Rapunzel frowned defiantly, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. "No, he wouldn't do that. Jack isn't like that," but it sounded weak even to Rapunzel's ears.

"Are you sure?" Gothel's blue irises glinted darkly. Now just to reel in the fish.

Rapunzel sighed.

"Which night?"

"Excellent, dearie. You're such a strong-minded young lady, it would be a shame for you to be subservient to a man."

Rapunzel half-listened to the specifics of Gothel's escape plan. It was simple; Rapunzel would slip a sleeping potion in Jack's drink to make sure he slept through the sound of Rapunzel jumping out the window.

Suddenly, a maid's gentle knock interrupted Gothel's explanation.

"Miss, are you decent?"

"Just a minute," said Rapunzel, a little too quickly.

"I'll see you in three weeks," said Gothel urgently. "Be ready."

Rapunzel just nodded as she watched Gothel disappear out the window and into the night.

**Author's Note**

**I'm a week and a half late…. Sorry bout that guys. I got caught up in life :/**

**So, our favorite creepy witch appears.**

**Did anyone catch the line from the Princess Diaries 2 in ch.3? XD**

**Also if you noticed the review by me on this story, that was my mom, not me. Hopefully you don't think I'm a narcissist. **

**If you have any ideas for the story, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me because two heads (or ten, for that matter) are better than one. :D**

**I should probably stop putting emoticons :/**

**Thanks for reading /reviewing.**


	5. Chapter 5

Rapunzel was ambushed by her maids a full four hours before the wedding. Despite her protests that one hour is enough, she was dragged off to be primped and poked for an excruciatingly boring four hours.

Yay. Can't wait.

Jack had a selection of the finest suits in the palace. Traditionally the wedding tux was supposed to be white, to represent the purity of the husband's love for his wife. Jack almost snorted after being told this, thinking about most couples' wedding nights, but managed to turn it into a convincing sneeze.

Ultimately, at the convincing of Charmagne, Jack decided to wear a light blue suit to represent his Windelheim heritage, and secretly the girly side of Jack liked it because it matched his eyes. A bit of hair gel and shoe-fitting and Jack was ready for what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. He couldn't help laughing inwardly when he thought of what Rapunzel's maids were probably doing to Rapunzel.

"Wedding's starting," said Charmagne. "We've almost got Corona in the palm of our hand."

Jack had temporarily forgotten his father's plan to take over Corona, but now he felt a little sad he had to marry this girl for purely politics. She was a nice girl. No, she was an awesome girl. She deserved to have a guy _really_ love her.

You could be that guy, his conscience teased him, but he made himself silence it.

When he was little, and his mother was alive, she'd tell him stories. He'd especially liked the adventure stories about knights and ninjas, but sometimes his mom would tell him love stories. Mostly about princes and princesses.

"Someday you'll find your special girl, Jack," she'd said, a warm smile in her eyes.

"Eeeewwww! Girls have cooties!" five-year-old Jack had exclaimed.

He stepped out of his prep room and walked down the palace hall, the memory playing in his mind.

Finally, the maids finished their "masterpiece." Rapunzel had on a traditional white dress with a touch of lavender. Her hair was in an intricate French hairstyle that she couldn't pronounce the name of. Her makeup was conservative, showing off her natural beauty.

Rapunzel's stomach filled with butterflies when she thought of Jack seeing her made up. "How do I look?" she asked the nearest maid anxiously.

"Milady, you're beautiful," the maid replied honestly. "You and Jack look good together."

"I'm only marrying that loser because I have to," Rapunzel said, trying to sound convinced, but that incorrigible blush rose to her cheeks.

"Ooh, Rapunzel likes Ja-ack, Punzie likes Ja-ack," a maid teased in a singsong voice.

"I do not!" hissed Rapunzel, her brain replaying the kiss without permission. "Keep it down!"

"So you do admit it," the maid wiggled her eyebrows.

Rapunzel slitted her eyes, only half-playfully. "This conversation never happened."

The music began playing, and Rapunzel made a quick exit from her room, the maids giggling suspiciously as she left.

She stood just outside the hall behind her bridesmaids, her recalcitrant adrenaline building by the second.

I'm actually marrying this guy, she thought. The thought mostly annoyed and scared her, but a miniscule part of her was excited.

You'll have plenty of time to be nervous later, Rapunzel, she reprimanded.

She put on a dazzling but fake smile, and stepped out onto the purple-carpeted aisle.

**Author's Note:**

**Ooh, things are getting serious! Next chapter ****will**** be up in the next two days, I promise you.**

**Thank you SO SO much for you reviews, they make my day. Or night. Or early morning.**


	6. Chapter 6

_She put on a dazzling but fake smile, and stepped out onto the purple-carpeted aisle._

Heads turned, and her smile wavered a little, but she willed herself to remain in character.

She strode down the aisle to the music, keeping her eyes trained on the church official that was standing behind that altar. Halfway to Jack, she hesitantly dared to meet Jack's eyes. Expecting to see his usual smirk, she was surprised to find a look of gentle kindness on his face, and even more surprising, it was directed at her. She blushed a little, partially from surprise, and she allowed herself to admit it was partially because of how cute he looked.

Just as Rapunzel contained her blush, Jack glanced away, seemingly disinterested.

Disappointment sat heavy in Rapunzel's stomach. She should have known. It was all a show, for the crowd. He wouldn't look at her like that genuinely.

Suddenly it became a competition to her. She'd pretend to like him, and diss him later, like he'd just done to her. She allowed herself a small smile. It was on.

She kept her smiling bride façade until she arrived at the altar. Jack was back to loving husband as well.

Their gazes met, and his smile shifted from gentle to challenging. He _was _keeping a façade. The competition wasn't just Rapunzel's anymore. She stared into his blue irises, but he kept them unreadable.

The competitive look faded from Jack's face and his eyes softened. Rapunzel almost melted into a puddle right then and there, but forced herself to maintain her composure.

The vows went by in a blur of Rapunzel trying not to blush and their staring contest. The "I do"s were said without a second thought.

His ring was a simple gold band inlaid with diamonds to represent Corona's golden fields and sunny days.

Hers was white gold with a big blue gemstone to represent Windelheim. She'd throw it in the river later.

"You may kiss the bride." Rapunzel closed her eyes and waited for Jack to kiss her.

His arms snaked around her waist. She opened her eyes to slits to see his trademark smirk, just in time for him to dip her and pull her in for a deep kiss.

Her mouth reacted of its own accord, kissing him back for a few seconds before remembering they were in front of approximately 200 people. She pulled back, praying he would un-dip her and they could leave.

He did, and then it was over and they were running down the aisle and people were throwing rice at them (Why did people throw rice at weddings, anyway? Rapunzel didn't have a clue). A little rice got under her corset, but she didn't notice.

Once they were out of the church, Rapunzel's maids ushered her to her room to prep her for the reception. She made herself give Jack a dirty look as she was dragged off. As she'd predicted, he smirked.

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry, I'm pretty much a week late. I really should not put due dates on my fics. **

**The wedding happens! Yay! The future holds some interesting stuff.**

**I shall see you guys later!**


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